Foot corrector



Sept. 12, 1933. M. JONES 1,926,389

FOOT GORRECTOR Filed June 28. 1932 INVENTOR 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented SeptflZ, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to shoe pads, and more particularly to a method of and devices of this character for correcting foot posture and overcoming foot defects.

The principal objects of the invention are to produce massaging effects on particular areas of a foot, and to produce circulation of air for aerating the foot and the shoe, consequent on use of a shoe pad that produces massaging effects.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent in the course of the following description of one form of pad embodying the invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawing where- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a shoe provided with a treating device comprising a pad constructed in accordance with the invention, illustrating a foot in the shoe resting on the pad, and showing the relation of foot bones to the pad.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the operation of the pad when the foot lifts the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3, Fig. 2, illustrating an expanded air pocket formed by the lower cover of the pad.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device, the transverse dotted line defining the front edge of the lower cover and rear edge of the tapered front end portion of the pad.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

6 designates a resilient body formed of elastic, compressible material having a high coefficient of friction, preferably sponge rubber, and provided with a top cover 8 formed of soft leather or like material extending over and fixed to the upper surface thereof. In the illustrated use of the invention, the body comprises a pad adapted to be mounted in a shoe, and to be operated incidentally to the wearing of the shoe.

Apertures 10 extend through the body and cover and form air chambers which will contract and expand responsively to compression of the pad by the weight of the wearer and relief of compression when the weight is relaxed or removed. The apertures are preferably aligned on the median line of the pad beneath the position of the cuboid bone of the foot. The rearmost aperture is located slightly forwardly of the position of the heel bone, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that the aperture will not be closed by the wearers heel.

The cover is securely-attached to the body throughout the entire area thereof by suitable means such as glue, while the body is bent to form a curve as shown corresponding to the curve of the longitudinal foot arch and arch of the shoe sole. The curve of the pad is formed on a slightly smaller radius than that of the shoe arch to provide for a space between the pad and the shoe and produce an air pocket.

, The forward end of the pad body is tapered as indicated at 12 by skiving the lower side of the body to enable the smooth upper surface of the cover 8 to substantially merge with the surface of the inner sole of the shoe and avoid a hump at the front end of the pad.

A lower cover member 14 comprising a strip of leather having a smooth outer surface is fixed to the lower surface of the body and is secured to the upper cover about its periphery to completely envelop the compressible member. The strip 14 is also secured to the lower surface by glue or like means throughout the entire area of the strip with the exception of a middle portion 16 located in covering relation with the lower ends of the apertures.

The lower cover may be attached to provide pockets located in any desired position, but preferably is attached by side and end edge portions to leave a substantial area of the cover unattached and extending considerable distances in each direction from the apertures.

The front and rear ends and side edges of the strip being thus permanently attached to the pad, permit the formation of a pocket or compartment 17 under the middle portion of the pad body communicating with the apertures, and adapted to expand and contract responsively to bending movement of the pad and pressure and relief of air supplied through the apertures.

The strip 14 is attached to the pad preferably while the body is bent, for example after the same has been bent to apply the cover, and thus assists the cover in conferring the permanent curvature on the pad and maintaining the pad ,in curved condition.

The compartment 17 will normally tend to contain a small amount of air because of the tendency of the resilient body to curve away from the unattached mid-portion of the strip.

The device when used as a shoe pad will pref erably be constructed to fit a particular shoe and a particular foot for, meeting the conditions required to correct foot ills and foot posture. The heel portion of the pad will abut the vertical heel portion 20 of a shoe as shown in Fig. 1 for locating the arch of the pad over the shoe arch and the tapering front end edge of the pad adjacent and preferably at the rear edge of the ball of the foot. The heel bone of the foot will then press upon the middle portion of the rear section of the pad defined by the rearmost aperture.

When the wearers foot is inserted in the shoe and rests on the pad, the weight of the foot will tend to depress the arched pad due to the compressible nature of the pad body. One effect of the motion is that air trapped between the foot and the pad may be pressed by the foot into the apertures and tend to expand the compartment 17 and be trapped under compression in the compartment. When the pressure is relaxed upon lifting the foot the compressed air will be ejected through the apertures and will be returned under compression when the foot again presses onthe pad.

Air trapped beneath the pad will likewise be alternately ejected and taken in as the elastic pad is depressed or permitted to rise on alternate weight supporting and shoe lifting positions of the wearers foot.

Compression and relaxation of the pad in walking will also reduce and restore normal volume to the chambers formed by the apertures 10.

Currents of air are thus set in motion which tend to act on the foot and shoe responsively to foot movements of the wearer, and the movements of the pad contribute to the aerating effect. 1

Both suctional and blast effects of air have useful results for massaging the foot and aerating the foot and shoe.

Numerous massaging effects result from operation of the pad which may be modified by slight modifications in the form of the device as shown, for remedying foot ills and improving the conditions under which the foot exists while the shoe is being worn.

In the operation of the device as shown, yielding of the pad and compression ofair when the shod foot is set on the ground will have massaging effect, and the pad returning to normal position when the foot is lifted will act on the foot, such return being due in part to the elastic character of the pad body and in part to the operation of air trapped in and around the pad.

A particularly important effect occurs because of the presence of the upwardly opening apertures or chambers 10, and the pocket 17 on the bottom of the pad communicating with the chambers. When the foot presses down on the pad, air is forced out of the pad pocket and chambers, escaping around the foot and the volumes of the pocket and chambers is reduced. The sole of the foot closes the apertures. When the foot is lifted, the sole does not instantly leave the pad, but tends to be retained in engagement with the pad, or to hold the pad, by reason of the suctional effect of the chambers and pocket, from which air is excluded by the sole.

The tendency of the pocket and chambers to expand upon relief of pressure and lifting of the shoe, results in development of partial vacuums in the pocket and chamber, which tend to hold the flesh of the foot to the pad at the open upper ends of the chambers.

The weight of the shoe eventually pulls the pad away from the foot sole, and permits air passing around the foot to enter the chambers and pocket. When the foot is again set down, or the sole of the shoe is pressed against a resisting surface, the pressure causes air to leave the pocket and chambers, the rush of air affecting most distinctly the areas of the foot sole above the chambers.

The suctional and pressure effects have greatly increased efiiciency for improving foot and body conditions by reason of the location of the apertures or chambers 10 near the center of the foot arch, and particularly their location beneath the position of the cuboid bone. The alternately expanding and contracting pad pocket, and the expansible chambers in the compressible pad, cause pronounced suctional and pressure effects on well defined areas of the foot sole immediately below the cuboid bone. Slight flushing of areas exactly corresponding to the size and positions of the chambers resulting from use of a pad indicate the influence of the chambers and pad pocket on the foot.

The sequence of pulling action due to suction, relief, and pressing action due to air, has extensive beneficial action on the muscles, veins, arteries and nerves of the foot and of the entire system of the wearer. The muscles of the foot are strengthened, and the entire ankle and foot structure tends to be restored to normal healthy self-supporting condition and posture, to relieve distress of other parts of the body caused by maladjustment or weakness of a foot, or abnormal strains on the cuboid bone.

The extension of the pad forwardly to points beneath the positions of the toes or ball of the foot prevents the heel from pushing back, and keeps the bottom of the foot in proper alignment when the wearer rests his weight on the heel. Heel jars which obstruct circulation of blood are thus avoided.

The soft and resilient pad allows and promotes 100 free circulation of blood, absorbs shocks, and helps to position and improve the condition of all of the foot bones.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, an apertured pad having an apertured cover attached thereto while the pad is bent to confer permanent curvature on the apertured portion of the pad, and a strip fixed to the lower surface of the pad having an unattached central portion to form an air pocket communicating with the apertures of the pad and cover.

2. In a device of the character described, a pad including a body .formed of compressible material having a high coefficient of friction, and strips fixed to the opposite surfaces of the body when the body is bent to confer permanent curvature on the body, said pad including a heel portion and an arch portion having an aperture extending through one of said cover members and the pad on the median line thereof to form a cushion chamber closed by the other cover member.

3. A device of the character described including a pad formed of compressible material and a strip covering one surface of the pad, said pad and strip having registering perforations forming a chamber in the pad, and a strip mounted on the opposite surface of the pad having side and end edges fixed to the pad and an unattached middle portion covering said chamber to form an expansion compartment on the under surface of the pad in communicating relation with the chamber formed by said perforations.

4. A device of the character described including-a pad. formed of compressible material and having an arch portion provided with perforations forming chambers, a strip fixed to and covering, the upper surface of the pad and having openings registering with said perforations, a strip on the lower surface of the pad having side and end edges fixed to the pad and an unattached middle portion covering said chambers to form an expansion compartment on the under surface of the pad in communication with said chambers, and means for securing the margins of the upper and lower strips together to enclose the pad between the strips.

ERNEST MARTIN JONES. 

